


The Way Back Home

by mysterKey



Series: Bewitched [3]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Domestic, Established Relationship, Faeries - Freeform, M/M, Witches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-30
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-02-18 11:56:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21610525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mysterKey/pseuds/mysterKey
Summary: This wasn't how Johnny intended his first meeting with Ten's parents, the leaders of one of the most prominent covens in Asia, but he supposes that things could be worse.No, it could literally not get any worse.
Relationships: Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Suh Youngho | Johnny
Series: Bewitched [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1174058
Comments: 8
Kudos: 89





	The Way Back Home

**Author's Note:**

> Long time no see? This semester has been kicking my ass but on the bright side there's only two more weeks left (about a dozen exams to go through tho so lol wish me luck or something) 
> 
> This didn't turn out 100% how I wanted it too but if I continued to agonize over it I would never post it. Anyways I hope you enjoy the return of witch!ten and faerie!Johnny

Ten might be difficult to spot in a sea of hundreds of people but Johnny stands at least a head above the majority of the crowd which makes him easy to see. Ten guesses that it also helps that Johnny's mom is holding up an embarrassingly large sign with Johnny's face on it — Ten had helped her pick out the photo but Johnny didn’t need to know that. He begged his mom not to bring it the entire ride to the auditorium but it fell on deaf ears, his mother insisting on publicly displaying her pride that her son was graduating with the highest of honors. Johnny finally spots his own face and heads in their direction with a smile on his face.

The blue and white cap and gown didn't look half bad on Johnny but it was hard to make anything that the six-foot fairy put on look bad. On the other hand, the blue would definitely clash with the faded red hue of Ten's own hair maybe he could dye it back to black before his own graduation in a few days. The enormous size of their university allowed for a graduation ceremony for each college. Today for the college of business, his own for the college of arts and sciences in a few days, and a couple more scattered about. They were even considering attending the Violet Ceremony for members of the LGBTQ+ community together as a couple. 

Johnny wraps his mom in a tight hug first. Ten always envied Johnny's relationship with his parents, more specifically his mother. Johnny always referred to her as the most important person in his life, his inspiration. Ten never felt anything close to those emotions towards his own mother. She wasn’t too bad, more than anything a bit distant. 

Then Johnny moves to hug his father. From the few encounters Ten has had with Johnny's parents he could tell that Mr. Suh was a gentle soul. It explained Johnny's ability to be Ten's personal teddy bear. Johnny's parents didn't lack the ability to express affection in the way that Ten's did. When they were around, which wasn't very often, to begin with, the only time they showed anything for Ten was when he made strides within the coven. 

Finally, Johnny turns to Ten, wrapping his arms around Ten's waist. Ten inhales, curling into the embrace. Johnny smells like home, a hint of warm vanilla and a subtle musk that Ten can’t get enough of. Ten clings onto the back of Johnny’s gown, resting his forehead in the crook of Johnny’s neck. 

Johnny pulls back to take a look at his boyfriend's face, "Have you been crying?" 

"How could you tell?" Okay, he might have burst into tears the moment Johnny's name was called but the only witnesses to that were Johnny's own parents and Ten had no street cred to protect in front of them. 

Johnny cradles Ten's face between his hands, thumbs swiping just under Ten's eyes, "Your eyeliner was smudged." He placed a peck on Ten's lips before releasing him. 

"The only person who cried more than me today was Ten." Johnny's mother proclaims a fact that Ten isn't necessarily proud of. 

"I'm proud of my boyfriend, okay?" Senior year was supposed to be an easy one but Johnny had worked harder than Ten had ever seen him before. Between his internship that didn't pay nearly enough for the amount of work required of him to his fraternity duties, the number of times that Johnny dozed off during one of their late-night talks was more than they could count on their hands and feet. 

Johnny smiles down at him, "You get to graduate in a couple of days too and then I'll get to be the super proud boyfriend." 

"You're joining us for dinner later right, Ten?" 

That's how he ends up in some Asian French fusion restaurant on the Suh family dime. The price wasn't worth the portion sizes but it was good nonetheless. Plus he wasn’t paying for it so he couldn’t complain. Spending time with the Suh's was always a pleasant experience. The first time they met hadn't been under the most pleasant of circumstances, them wanting to surprise Johnny with a visit only to find their son straddling a half-naked boy in his bed. Wasn't the most ideal introduction, but the pair still welcomed Ten with open arms, preaching about the importance of protection while their son sat there with a beet-red face. 

"What do you plan to do post-graduation, Ten?" Mrs. Suh chats over their Banh Mi appetizer. 

Ten doesn't have a plan. He's winged his whole life up until this point and it's been working just fine. He didn't have to work the rest of his life, his parents made enough money to support him for the rest of eternity. Working for the coven was always an option, they'd be happy to have him. He has a couple of job offers, one of which he'd probably accept but it didn't spark much joy. 

"I'll most likely be working as a graphic designer for a media company." 

"Not the one that Johnny will be at right? Office romances can get a little messy." Johnny's father jokes.

Ten peers over at his boyfriend, "I don't even think that we applied to the same places." 

"Are your parents coming for graduation?" This time the question comes from Johnny's mother. 

Ten wants to laugh but that'd be rude so he settles of saying, "They can't make it but my other family is coming." By family, he means Johnny, Taeyong, and he left the remaining ticket for the rest of the kids to fight over. Ten places his bet on Renjun or Haechan to be the third, the pair were vicious when they wanted to be. 

"Ten's parents are always traveling for work, remember?" Johnny adds. Who would want their son to be dating someone with a dysfunctional family?

Mrs.Suh blinks, "Too busy to watch their son graduate?" 

Ten's parents never wanted him to go to college, hence why they aren't exactly elated that he actually saw this through to graduation. College meant that Ten wasn't focusing on his duty to become the next leader of the coven and that wasn't what they wanted from him. He texted them the details of the ceremony out of courtesy only to receive a text that said "that's great honey" and no word as to whether they planned to show up or not. Ten supposes that the perks of having parents that were coven leaders meant that despite them rarely being by his side, he always knew where they were or where they were going to be at certain times. On graduation day they'd be in London talking to a major coven there. That wasn't exactly something they could postpone but this close to the date but considering the three months notice he gave them, surely an exception could've been made.

Ten shrugs, "Priorities?" Johnny places a reassuring hand on Ten's thigh but his eyes remain focused on his plate. 

"Well, since Johnny is probably going, consider us there for you in spirit." Mrs. Suh offers a smile. 

"Thank you." 

"Johnny told us that he planned to move in with you after graduation." This dinner is starting to feel more like an interrogation than any of their prior meetings ever had. Like they were actually trying to assess that Ten would be a good fit for their son in the long term. Ten didn't necessarily feel the need to  _ prove _ that their love was solid but he didn't like the feeling that he was being scrutinized.

"We only talked about it briefly. It was only an idea." Johnny steps in for Ten. 

"Uh, I have to settle things at home before I can decide to move out." Ten doesn't know if that's the right thing to say in this situation but it's the truth. 

"We were talking about him moving in later when he settles everything at home." 

"That's a good plan." Mr. Suh nods. "You can't rush into things too quickly like we did back in the day." 

"Things worked out well for the two of us but we can't say the same about other couples that were like us." Johnny had told him about his parents' love story before. High school sweethearts that got married right after graduation only to go off to separate colleges and pursue their careers despite opposition from both of their parents. Maintaining their relationship despite the distance between them to move in together after graduation and to have Johnny a few years later. Their love story was something that Johnny admired and it was what made him the hopeless romantic that he was. 

Johnny was the type to fall hard and fast, Ten not so much himself. Are Johnny's parents insinuating that they were moving too fast? At least they weren't getting engaged like some other people they knew. 

"You guys were really lucky to find each other." Johnny agrees. "I also think that I am very lucky to have found Ten." Ten can't help the smile that sneaks onto his face. 

"Which one of you ingrates is going to be my third ticket?" 

"Haechan almost killed me for insinuating that I wanted to go." Chenle whines. 

"Listen, kid, you're young, there are many more graduations in your future. You can come to mine."

"As if you'd make it to graduation with the way that you stare at Mark more than your textbooks." Haechan pelts the nearest throw pillow at Chenle's head, the younger boy narrowly dodging it. 

"I will end you Zhong Chenle." Haechan threatens, narrowing his eyes at the younger witch. 

"Mark isn't even disagreeing with me." 

"I've learned long ago not to get in the way of a vengeful Lee Donghyuck." Mark makes his escape to the kitchen before he can witness any carnage. Back when they were thirteen Haechan had conjured a spell that dotted a kid in chickenpox looking spots because they had tripped Mark in the hall purposefully. Haechan didn't hear the end of it from the coven leaders and was grounded for a month but the bully stayed away from Mark for the rest of their education. 

"What about Renjun? I know that he wanted to go." 

"I convinced Jaemin to take Renjun out on a date and Renjun never says no to Jaemin." Haechan smiles.

"Foul play to take out your competition. You've learned so well from me." Ten gives a nod of approval. He would be happy about any combination of them. 

"I learned from the best."

“When’s the next time I get to see Johnny?” For some odd reason, Chenle had taken a liking to Johnny. Ever since Johnny stopped picking up shifts at the cafe, Jisung and Chenle’s efforts to stalk him have become failures. 

“Hopefully never.” 

“Why? He’s really nice. He took Jisung and I out to bubble tea one time.”

“He did what?!” 

Ten doesn't expect to have such a feeling of bittersweetness walking across the stage after the president of their university miraculously announces his name correctly. He's excited to be done with this chapter in his life. No more ill-advised all-nighters to cram for exams. No more caffeine driven finals week survival. But at the same time, he was afraid. College is a microcosm. Close enough to be the real world but confined within a couple of acres of land. There was no more safety net of being in college to excuse a messy life. 

The second they let the graduates free, Ten finds his friends at their predetermined meeting spot right outside of the theater underneath the shade of some trees. The moment he's within arms length of Johnny, Ten clings onto him with all of his might. 

"I'm so proud of you." 

“I love you so much.” Falling in love was something Ten never expected. But falling in love with Johnny felt natural, like breathing. Like finding a puzzle piece that he didn’t know was missing. Here, in Johnny’s embrace, he could relish in it forever.

“I love you too.” Johnny whispers, kissing the top of his head. 

“Thank you so much for always being there for me.” Ten mumbles into Johnny’s chest. He’s never felt like he had a lack of family growing up, all of the guys in the coven more than compensated for that. Johnny had a way of centering Ten that he couldn’t find elsewhere. 

Haechan coughs, grabbing their attention. “Do you want us to get you a room or are you going to keep on neglecting the fact that I practically raised you?”

“I was literally one room away from you when you were being born. If anyone raised anyone here, it’s me to you.” Ten says not letting go of his boyfriend. He slips his hands into Johnny’s back pocket to retrieve his phone. 

There’s one message that stands out on the screen that makes his heart sink. 

[Mark]

_ Don’t freak out _

_ Your parents are here _

_ Chenle heard his parents overtalking to them _

Ten pushes Johnny away, shaking his head. Johnny reaches for his hand. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Uh Ten, are those your parents?” Haechan points off. Lo and behold his parents were walking with determination through the crowd to get to their location.

“Fuck.” Ten curses. Johnny’s never seen fear course through his boyfriend in the same way that it did now. This wasn't the way he planned for his parents to meet Johnny. He hadn't built up the courage to not only tell them that he wasn't dating a witch but also a fae at that. Surely, it wouldn't go over well with them.

Johnny squeezes Ten’s hand to offer some comfort, “Don’t worry, it’ll be okay,” before letting go.

“I’m sorry.” Johnny didn’t deserve this treatment. Hell, Ten didn’t deserve to have someone like Johnny in his life. 

“What are you doing here?” Ten’s voice is cold when his parents finally make it to where they’re standing. Ten’s arms are crossed in front of him.

His mother’s eyes narrow at Ten’s aversion, “I thought you’d be happy to see us.” 

“How did you even get in here?” Ten snaps. “Don’t tell me that you guys pulled strings to get in here.” Ten's parents had connections in higher places, their reach extending far beyond what Ten could even imagine so getting into the ceremony without tickets would have been a breeze. 

“Does it matter?” Ten's father's response is flippant. 

“You can’t just show up and act like you care about me!”

His mom shakes her head, disapproving, “Ten, now isn’t the time to throw a tantrum.” 

“Now isn’t the time to try to act like good parents.” Ten’s words are filled with venom and his eyes of fire, his fists curling at his sides. Johnny wants to step in, seeing Ten this way made his heartache. But he knew better than that. Defending Ten now would only put him in a stronger line of fire.

“Taeyong, Donghyuck.” Ten’s mother turns her attention to the two other witches with a smile, only serving to make Ten clench his jaw. “The purple hair is a nice touch. When did you get it done?” 

“Ten did it for me, after my grad ceremony.” Taeyong replies. 

“Don’t just fucking ignore me because owning up to your bullshit makes you uncomfortable.” 

“You can wait to throw your tantrums at home.” Ten’s father dismisses him before his attention turns to Johnny with a scrutinizing eye. “Who are you?” 

“Uh, Johnny. I’m friends with them?” Johnny supplies, uncertain. The word “friend” is calculated on his part. He didn't want to put Ten in a situation that he was unprepared for. He'd let Ten tell them on his own time. 

“Are you joining us for dinner then?” 

“No.” Ten immediately protests, shaking is head. “Absolutely not.” 

He’s immediately scolded by his father, “Don’t be rude Ten. Please join us for dinner.”

That’s how Johnny ends up at a tense dinner party with Ten on his right and his parents sitting in front of them. Johnny had thought that with the younger witches in Ten’s coven being there would make the situation more bearable but the boys sat there holding their breaths waiting for their food to arrive. 

“When do you plan to get off to wherever you’re going to next?” Ten breaks the silence with a pointed question. 

“Can’t you just appreciate that we’re here?” It was laughable that his parents thought that showing up for his college graduation could erase the years of neglect prior. 

“Why can’t you just let me live my life?” He pleads

“We’ve never prevented you from pursuing anything outside.” This was how every conversation with his parents went. Denial that they could have caused any sort of heartache in Ten's life. A stubbornness that no matter how hard Ten fought, he couldn't get across to them. 

“That’s because you still expect me to follow the life plan you guys devised for me before I was even born.” 

“It’s rude to fight this way in front of our guest, Johnny.” 

“You invited him! What? Did you think that having him here would have shielded you from any anger I have towards you?" 

“We had assumed that you wouldn’t want to display in-fighting in from of other kinds.” There is was the ultimate game plan. They didn’t need to know exactly what Johnny was but they knew that he wasn’t a witch and they had thought that that would be enough to prevent an argument. 

Ten chuckles bitterly, “Ah, so this is what this is all about. You manipulative pair of human beings thought that bringing him here would somehow absolve all the crap you’ve put me through my entire life?!” Ten’s hands are balled into fists on his lap. “I don’t care about your reputation.” 

Haechan coughs to diffuse the situation, “Wow, I wonder where the food is. Maybe we should go check?" Taeyong shakes his head quickly. 

“Maybe you should be more mindful of it. You’re getting older now Ten, you have to prepare to take this on.” 

“How many times do I have to tell you that I don’t want to take over the coven?! It should go to someone who wants it.” 

“We didn’t raise you to be like this, Ten.” 

“You barely raised me at all!” Ten can barely contain his anger now, his voice raised. “If we’re pointing out everyone’s flaws here, let’s start off with you. If you want to call me irresponsible, why don’t we talk about how irresponsible it was to have a child for the sole purpose of carrying on your legacy only to neglect them until it’s convenient for you. If you want to call me selfish. How selfish of you to continually push your ideologies onto me despite knowing that it isn’t what I want. I’m a damn good witch and I have the ancestors favor but I will not sit here to have you disrespect me. You want to talk about saving your reputation in front of other kinda, perhaps your heads are so far up your asses to realize how far behind we are as a people. All you do is stifle the fire that the younger generation has towards witchcraft.” 

“So why don’t you just hop on a plane and jet off to wherever you’re needed because I don’t need you anymore. I’m not the lonely five-year-old kid that longed for his parents to be around anymore.” Ten rises from his seat, “Oh, by the way, Johnny is my boyfriend and he has shown me more love than either of you contain in your body. I’m going to marry him one day.” Ten storms out of the room leaving everyone speechless. 

“If I could interject,” Johnny coughs, “Ten is one of the most hardworking people that I know. He may not want to take over the coven in your stead but he isn’t giving up on it. He never misses a single one of Jisung or Chenle’s examinations. He’s always the go-to if someone has an issue within the coven. He’s representing your coven to the highest of his capabilities every day despite how much you may criticize him. Stop looking at him as if he’s the legacy you’ll leave behind and maybe treat him more like a son.” Johnny rises from his seat before bowing, “It was nice meeting you both. I’m sorry it couldn’t be under better circumstances.” 

By the time Johnny makes it outside, he's happy to find Ten crouched down, hugging his knees on the sidewalk. Had Ten had the nerve to run away from here, finding the younger man across the city would have proven to be a difficult feat. 

"Hey." Ten looks up at the sound of Johnny's voice. His eyes are glistening but his cheeks aren't streaked with tears. Johnny crouches down to his boyfriend's level, "are you okay?" 

"I'm not sad. More than anything I'm mad. That's why I'm not crying. I refuse to be an angry crier."

Johnny strokes Ten's hair with a hand, "I'm so proud of you." 

“I’m so sorry you had to sit through that.” Ten can’t even look Johnny in the eyes. Johnny’s never seen Ten appear so small before. 

“Hey, don’t apologize to me okay.” Johnny offers him a smile. "Let's go home, yeah?"

When they get home, Johnny lights a couple of candles and sets the hue of his room to a mellow blue. They lie together, Ten curled into Johnny's chest, Johnny's right arm cradled around Ten, drawing calming circles into his side. 

"My parents have always been this way, you know?" Ten muses, Johnny didn't want to bring it up, waiting for Ten to say something on his own time. "They're easier to ignore when they're across the globe."

"Always?" 

"More or less." 

"They're," He searches for the right words, "intense?" 

"That's putting it nicely. They're impossible. You know I wouldn't absolutely hate the idea of taking over the coven if I wasn't aware that they had me for that sole purpose. Now I kind of just refuse out of spite." 

"Do you want the position?" 

"No, Taeyong would be better at it but I don't hate it. I just don't like the time course of my life being planned out before I was even born." 

"That isn't fair to you." Ten hums, agreeing. They stay like that in silence for a few moments. "You know, something you said back there did surprise me though." 

"And what is that?" 

"That someone wants to marry me one day." 

Ten peers up at him through his bangs, "Oh, yeah. That. I don't know why I said that." 

"Well, I for one am very flattered. And I too plan to marry you one day. And get a dog. Maybe multiple dogs. And maybe when we're ready, we can adopt a kid or two." 

"You want to marry me?" 

Johnny plants a kiss on the top of Ten’s head, "I’ve already told you before. I'm madly in love with you, Ten. And if you'd let me have the honor of making you happy for the rest of your life, I'd love to do that. Obviously not now, but later. I can't afford to give you the proposal and wedding of your dreams right now."

Ten hums, “That sounds really nice.” A family with Johnny, Ten can’t say that the idea never crossed his mind. Johnny would be the greatest dad, showering his kids with the love that Ten never got himself. 

“I can see it now. You walking towards me down the aisle and I’m crying because you look so stunning.” Johnny’s voice is light and despite not looking at him Ten can almost hear the smile on his face. 

“You should be walked down the aisle. You actually have a family that will come.” 

“Family isn’t the result of blood. I can only imagine that Haechan will try to fight to walk you down the aisle and attempt to show you up in the process.” 

Ten chuckles, “The little shit really would. How many kids are you thinking?” 

“At least a John Jr. and a Ten Jr.’ 

“I refuse to name any child of mine John.” Ten protests. 

“Why is there anything wrong with my name?”

“It’s too stuffy. There’s a reason I only call you Johnny. It’s like naming your kid Bernard. Too formal for a child.”

"Fine," Johnny settles, "You can name our little one's just being with you is enough for me." 

"You're such a fucking sap. It's absolutely disgusting." Ten twists his body so that he's face to face with Johnny, to get a really good look at the man he has the honor to call his. 

"You love me."  


"I do." Ten leans in to meet Johnny's lips. It's a soft kiss, Ten's not looking for anything more at this moment. He pulls away, looking deeply into Johnny's dark eyes, "Let's move in together." 

Johnny blinks up at him, "Huh? Are you serious?"  Ten bites his lower lip, slowly nodding his confirmation. Johnny's heart wants to explode, wrapping his arms around Ten's waist to pull him in close, Ten screeches at the sudden movement. "I'm so happy! I love you so much." Johnny lays a kiss on any surface of Ten's face that he can reach.

"You're already my home. What more is an apartment?" 

**Author's Note:**

> kudos and comments are super kind  
> Thanks for reading!


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